Sensors are used in many applications including, for example, systems for detecting/sensing changes temperature, motion, light, sound, seismic activity, pressure, humidity, and/or other similar measurands or physical phenomenon. As such, sensors are typically configured to detect measurands within a predetermined range. For example, particular temperature sensors may be configured to detect temperatures in the range of 0°-100° C. When these sensors detect a measurand beyond their predetermined range (i.e., a temperature less than 0° C. or greater than 100° C. in this example), the sensors are considered to be saturated or “out of range” either because they are actually detecting a measurand quantity outside of the predetermined range, or the sensors are malfunctioning. While non-sophisticated sensors typically do not send a saturation error signal, some sophisticated sensors are capable of transmitting a saturation error signal. While transmitting a saturated error signal may be useful in identifying malfunctioning sensors so that their faulty readings may be ignored or the sensors may be fixed or replaced, sensors can malfunction for one or more reasons other than and/or in addition to a saturation error.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods for identifying one or more malfunctioning sensors so that their faulty readings may be ignored or the sensor(s) may be fixed or replaced. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.